Vanilla Cupcakes with Vanilla and Ginger Infused Frosting

These vanilla cupcakes are everything but vanilla. I mean they are vanilla flavored…but they aren’t boring. Sometimes you just need a great classic cupcake recipe, and this is exactly what that is. A vanilla cupcake, made from scratch and with ingredients you probably already have on hand. If you can make cupcakes from a box mix, then you can make these. And the vanilla and ginger infused frosting is made using a special ingredient. These cupcakes are perfect for any celebration…or for Monday’s. Because Monday’s need cupcakes!

The other day I needed to whip up a quick batch of cupcakes to bring to a lunch party for my friend Michelle, and I figured vanilla cupcakes with vanilla frosting would be perfect for our little group! And they were. Plus these cupcakes were so easy to make, and the recipe only makes a dozen. Exactly one dozen. But you could easily double this recipe (or triple or quadruple if you are cupcake crazy like me) if you need more.

Part of the reason why I wanted to make these vanilla cupcakes with vanilla frosting, is because I was talking to Kate (one of the owners of Vain Extracts) the other day, and we were talking about their Vain Indonesian Vanilla Extracted in Ginger Spirits, because I had used it to make THESE and THESE. Kate and I were discussing what types of recipes would really highlight the flavor of their ginger infused vanilla extract, and frosting was brought up. I am all for frosting, so off to the kitchen I went!!

I doubled up using the vanilla extract infused with ginger, by adding the extract to these cupcakes AND to the frosting. One of my friends that had one of these cupcakes said it was literally the best frosting she had ever had! Gotta be the Vain Extract yo!

You can make this recipe using any vanilla extract, but it’s definitely worth buying extract from Vain next time your stock is running low. You can tell the difference…trust me. Ok. Let’s go make some cupcakes!

Instructions

1

PREPARE CUPCAKES:

2

Preheat over to 325-degrees. Line a cupcake tin with 12 cupcake liners and set aside.

3

In the bowl of a stand mixer, affixed with the paddle attachment, add the butter and sugar and beat on medium-high speed until fluffy and creamy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and change the mixer speed to low. Add the nutmeg, flour, salt and baking powder to the mixer and mix until the ingredients resemble sand. With the mixer on low, slowly add 1/4 cup of the milk to the mixer. Mix until ingredients are incorporated.

4

In a small bowl, whisk the egg together with the remaining 1/4 cup of milk and the vanilla extract. Slowly add the egg-milk mixture into the batter and mix until combined. Mix on medium speed for an additional 30-seconds.

5

Spoon batter into prepared cupcake tin, filling the cupcake liners only half way full of batter. The cupcakes rise significantly in the oven when they bake.

6

Bake cupcakes in 325-degree oven for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out without raw batter on it.

7

Remove cupcakes from the oven and let set on the counter for 5-minutes. Once cupcakes are cool enough to handle, transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack to finish cooling.

8

PREPARE FROSTING:

9

In the bowl of a stand mixer, affixed with the paddle attachment, add the butter. Beat the butter on medium-high speed for 1-minute. Reduce the speed of the mixer to low, and slowly add a half cup of the powdered sugar to the mixer. Beat sugar for a few seconds before adding another half cup of powdered sugar. Beat until combined and add the last half cup of sugar to the mixer. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Mix until combined and then increase the mixer speed to medium and beat the mixture for 3-minutes.

10

Change the mixer to low speed and add the milk and vanilla extract to the mixture. Mix until combined and then increase mixer speed to medium-high and beat until frosting is fluffy (approximately 4-minutes).

11

Frost cooled cupcakes by using a pastry bag with pastry tip, or use a knife to spread frosting on top of the cupcakes.

Notes

Store frosted cupcakes in an airtight container, at room temperature.

I know it looks like I didn’t fill them up enough, but they rise a lot when they bake up!

See?

Slather on some frosting and you got yourself a plate of vanilla goodness! The ginger infused vanilla extract gave the cupcakes and frosting a depth of flavor, but definitely not overpowering. If you LOVE ginger, you could add ground ginger to the cupcake batter, and the frosting, to really amp up that ginger flavor 🙂

Step away from the box mix and tubs of frosting…this recipe is EASY. Pin this recipe for later, when you need to whip up a batch of yummy cupcakes!

What’s your favorite kind of cupcake? I think now that we have the basics under our belt, I am ready to get a little crazy with my cupcake flavors. Leave me your ideas below!

XOXO,

Kelly

If you would like to buy the Vain vanilla extract I used in this recipe click HERE.

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PS….I have linked this recipe up to the MEAL PLAN MONDAY link party! Click the link to check out the party 🙂

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I am a self taught baker that enjoys baking from scratch and learning the science behind baking in order to create new recipes! I started this blog so I could share with you the yummy recipes I am making in my kitchen, but also to have some fun and laughs along the way!

Love In My Oven

May 16, 2017 at 8:16 PM

These speak to me. I’m a bit of a ginger “nut”. Mondays tooootally need cupcakes!! I love that your recipe only makes 12. It’s the perfect amount. There’s 4 in my family….so 3 each…sounds about right 😉

Christy

July 5, 2017 at 11:48 AM

Hi Kelly! These looks so yummy! My daughter was making these and she just noticed that it doesn’t say how much flour to use. Just in case you see this soon, we’ll hold off a bit but then maybe we’ll just experiment. 🙂 You are like the go-to site for all our treats!!
Thanks!
Christy

Hi Christy!! I’m so sorry!! I can’t believe I forgot to add the flour measurement in the recipe! It’s 1 cup and I just updated it. Thanks so much for letting me know!! I am actually getting ready to make these cupcakes for my nieces birthday party in two weeks. Hopefully these worked out for you. Sorry I wasn’t super quick to respond….I just got home from work 🙂 XOXO And you just made my day by telling me I am your go-to site for treats! Actually you made my week 🙂

Christy

July 5, 2017 at 6:28 PM

Thank you Kelly! We guessed a little high but they were still pretty yummy. Now we have a good excuse to make them again! 🙂 I figured you were at work and that was actually a happy thought since you like your job.
My husband really likes box mixes and I like to make homemade treats so I go to your site and if I say it’s on Kelly’s site, then he’s ok with it. LOL
Thanks so much for getting back to me!
Blessings,
Christy

Hi Christy! Thanks for being so sweet!! I felt so bad leaving you hanging on the flour measurement 🙁 But hopefully you make them again and let me know what you think! I love that your husband likes the treats you make from the blog 🙂 Makes me so happy!! Thanks again for your sweet comments!! Have a great weekend! XOXO